Uber drivers have today begun a 24-hour national strike in a row over minimum wage and holiday pay.
According to the App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU), which is staging a protest demonstration in front of Uber’s Aldgate Tower offices between 11am and 1pm today, the drivers are facing a cost-of-living crisis due to fuel inflation running at 44%, vehicle costs up by 28% and household inflation up by 7.8%.
It believes that Uber has failed to either obey the Supreme Court ruling in full, which would protect workers, or raise fares and pay in line with inflation of operating costs.
The union is demanding that Uber pays drivers at least the minimum wage and holiday pay for all working time from log on to log off, stating that it currently only pays the minimum wage after costs from the point of dispatch to drop off, excluding when they are on standby which is around 40% of working time.
It also wants the organisation to raise fares to £2.50 per mile and 20p per minute from £1.06 per mile and 10p per minute, and end its practice of unfair dismissals, stating that drivers are often flagged for summary dismissal by automated means and do not receive proper due process of investigation, appeal or representation.
Abdurzak Hadi, London chair of ADCU, said: “Drivers have been exposed to hyperinflation while Uber refuses to either obey the Supreme Court ruling, which protects workers or raise fares and pay to offset inflation of their operating costs.
“Uber has placed its workforce in very dangerous circumstances and the result is driver over work, declining mental health and families in great distress. I implore the government to dismiss the Uber spin and urgently intervene to enforce the law against what is an increasingly out of control business.”
An Uber spokesperson added: “The ADCU represents a tiny proportion of active drivers on Uber. For over a year now, GMB Union has served as the voice of drivers in the UK following our historic recognition agreement, which helped secure new worker protections including holiday pay and access to a pension plan. As with all previous demonstrations by the ADCU, we do not expect any impact or disruption to our service”.
